Tuesday, August 27, 2013

FAITHFUL

I have debated over the word for this entry today, I think that I have found it, although willingness has a lot to do with the subject also. Since this is the word in the quote I will use it.

Faithful... may not be exactly what we expect in this passage of the bible. In Matthew 25 verses 14 - 30 Jesus tells the parable of the Talents. It basically goes like this, There was a man who was going away and left his household and business in the hands of his servants. He gave them each a portion to take care of and help grow according to the abilities he thought each had. So to one he gave 5 talents, to another 2, and to the last 1. While he was gone the one with 5 talents increased those by 5, the one with 2 also increased his by 2, and the last buried his in fear of having nothing when the master returned. So when the Master returned The two that had increased their talents were praised and told that because they were faithful with little he would make them masters of many. The other of course was called a lazy servant and told to depart from him. Now I know that I told the story a little different and Jesus was talking about working for the Kingdom of God. I will be too in a way.

God gives us all what He thinks we can handle. He sends help in ways that we may not see as helpful. The thing is that we have to be willing (there is that word) to step out with what he has provided (even if we think we need more) being a faithful servant in that small thing before He can give us more. If we are faithful in what we are given He will give us more. We have to be willing to start small, we can't expect to graduate from High School and become president of a major company over night. It is possible, but not probable. How many people have started at the bottom and worked their way up the ladder of success, even in the ministry.

There is another story that will illustrate this a bit too....

There was a man stranded in the middle of the ocean. The ship he was on had sunk, all he had was the clothes on his back and a deflating life preserver. So helpless and alone he called out to God, "God, please bring me a miracle! Rescue me! Send your angels to save me! Get me out of here!" No more than 5 minutes later a boat came by and offered him help. He refused, "I don't need your boat, God is going to rescue me." About 30 minutes later helicopter hovered over him and offered him a rope ladder. He also told them, "No thanks, God is going to rescue me!" An hour went by, he could see in the distance a little island, he turn and started swimming back out to the middle of the ocean, thinking "I don't want to be on an island, God is going to save me!" Shortly after this the man drown and was in heaven. He was very angry, so when he saw God he asked Him, "God, I prayed for you to save me, why didn't you?" God looked at him and said, I sent you a boat, a helicopter, and an island! Why didn't you use them?"

Many times we hold out for the grand miracle like angels swooping down and fixing all of our problems. God sent the man in the story 3 angels, they were just not the angels the man expected or wanted. We have to be willing and faithful enough to except the small things God sends our way to help us in this life. We may need transportation, we want a car, he sends us a bike. We may need need a place to live, we want our own house, he sends us a bed in someone's house. God sends us what we can handle, and as we are faithful (and willing to take it) in the little He then gives us more.

Lord, help me to be faithful with the things you have given me. Help me to be willing to use those until you think I am ready for more. I want to be like the servant who had 5 talents and increased them by 5. Thank-you Lord for all you have given me.

The Quote:

"His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." ~Matthew 25:21